


A New Light

by DarkAdain



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Cain Visits, Fluff, Kind of AU I suppose?, M/M, Mentions of the Crash, One Shot, Robert and Cain interaction, Slight bit of angst, in the hospital
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 00:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8512123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAdain/pseuds/DarkAdain
Summary: Robert opens up to Cain when he visits Aaron in the hospital after the crash that shook the village.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I would have loved to see more of the Dingles visiting Aaron while he was in the hospital and for them to see first hand how Robert cares for him. I also have a soft spot for Cain interacting with Robert and him being accepted by the family so this happened.
> 
> My first fic in this fandom, I hope it's alright and let me know if there's any mistakes.

Robert hadn’t slept. He hadn’t eaten or changed clothes. He’d barely allowed his eyes stray from Aaron’s sleeping face. He didn’t dare, especially not after Aaron had flat lined earlier. Robert was determined to stay sat by Aaron’s bedside, his hand grasping Aaron’s left hand – which was now home to a strong engagement ring – gently but firmly.

It feels odd to think about the crash, almost as if it’s dislocated from reality and nothing but a dream in his mind. The steady beeping of the heart monitor and the faint sounds of movement from beyond the hospital room were the things that kept Robert rooted to reality. It _had_ happened. Aaron had been trapped, the water level had risen rapidly and despite his calm and rational approach, Robert had internally been in a blind panic.

Robert shook off his thoughts. He could deal with them later. For now, he focused completely on Aaron. His eyes carefully scanned every part of his face, relaxed and untroubled in his sleeping state despite his injuries. Chas had left a little earlier with a reluctant Liv, her tired voice promising to return in the morning. She’d given him a look but she hadn’t tried to convince him to leave too; she knew it would have been pointless.

Robert hadn’t been expecting anyone else so late and when the door creaked open his eyes didn’t shift from Aaron, assuming it was a nurse coming to do a routine check-up. He was therefore surprised when a male figure moved round to stand at the other side of the bed. He was even more surprised when he flicked his eyes up to see Cain’s face, unreadable as usual. There were hints of tiredness in his eyes though, which spoke of his concern for Aaron.

“Hey.” Robert’s voice was quiet. He and Cain had rarely seen eye to eye in the past but Robert had no desire for any kind of argument. And, if he was being completely honest with himself, deep down he did respect the guy. His protectiveness for his family was something he could really relate to now that he had Aaron and Liv. Cain nodded, looking over to Aaron.

“Alright?” Robert let out a sigh and shifted in his seat. He was in no mood to keep up a strong façade as he may have done in the past.  
“I don’t know. But as long as he’s okay, I will be.” Robert could tell Cain wasn’t expecting him to be that honest with him. Cain’s eyes softened slightly, as if he was seeing Robert differently for the first time. Robert tracked Cain’s line of sight down to where his hand was intertwined with Aaron’s. The ring was clear to see even in the dim light of the room.

“You asked him to marry ya?” Cain asked with a neutral tone. Robert smiled the most genuinely happy smile Cain had ever seen from the man.  
“More like shouted it at him. And then…well, y’know…” Robert’s voice trailed off as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He’d almost lost Aaron again. Robert chanced a glance up at Cain, only to find a small smile on his face. It quickly disappeared and Robert wasn’t sure if he had imagined it or not. He could tell there was something that the other man wanted to say.  
“Chas says you saved him.”

All of a sudden the hospital room fell away. Robert could almost feel the dirty water seeping into his clothes. He was back in the car and Aaron was trapped. The sheer panic and concern for the wellbeing of another person that he was sure he had never felt before Aaron began to rise again. Robert blinked and the images disappeared. He released a shaky breath. Cain pulled up another chair and sat opposite him, a steady eye noticing Robert’s sudden troubled faraway look. For Robert, it was as if the floodgates had opened after bottling up all his feelings on the crash to focus on Aaron’s safety.

“Aaron was trapped under the steering column. We kept trying to move it but it-it wasn’t working. And Aaron he-he told me to leave. Said he wasn’t having me dying in there because of him.” Robert rubbed his free hand over his eyes and his other hand tightened around Aaron’s. When Robert dropped his hand back down he looked Cain directly in the eyes. Before Cain could say anything, clearly touched by the selflessness of his nephew, Robert continued. “There was no chance I was leaving him. I went for that steering column with every bit of strength I had. I don’t even know how it moved but it did. We got out.” He spoke the last part quietly to himself, as though he was still trying to tell himself that they were fine. Aaron was fine and he was _safe_.

Robert continued with tears building in his eyes, feeling like all his barriers were broken now. “If I hadn’t been able to get him out I would have stayed with him.” A stray tear ran down Robert’s face and his voice cracked with emotion. “I would have died in there with him! I can’t survive without him. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Aaron. I didn’t even think I was capable of loving someone like this.”

“He’s a good lad, our Aaron” Cain’s voice was rough. He didn’t know how to reply to Robert’s shaky confession. He was stunned at the devotion he could hear in his voice. Hearing Robert talk like this changed his perspective on the man. He was seeing a new side to Robert. It was a side Cain was convinced only Aaron had seen properly and this Robert was fiercely protective and loving. If this was the Robert that Aaron saw, he wasn’t surprised his nephew had fallen so fast.

“He makes me a better man. He makes me _want_ to be better.” Robert wiped his tears away, embarrassed he was crying in front of Cain of all people. “I don’t deserve him. But I’ll do my damn best to make him happy and try to be someone he deserves.”  
“You’d better.” Cain’s voice was hard but the look in his eyes was bordering on acceptance. He stood and moved around the hospital bed. Robert was startled when he felt a strong hand fall upon his shoulder, squeezing slightly.

Robert couldn’t believe it. He turned his head to look at Cain, who nodded at him. He felt relieved and thankful to have been accepted by probably the most protective member of Aaron’s family, barring Chas.  
“I’d better get that welly ready.” Cain’s voice had taken on a lighter, teasing tone that was completely new to Robert. Robert laughed sarcastically, shaking his head.  
“I am not drinking from that thing.”  
“You’ve not got a choice. It’s tradition.” Cain was smirking at him now. Robert smiled back tiredly. He could get used to this. It felt nice. It felt like family.

“Anyway, I’d better get off.” Cain patted Robert on the shoulder and moved away towards the door. “Let him know I dropped in, yeah?” He inclined his head towards Aaron.  
“Course. And Cain? Thanks.” Robert knew Cain wasn’t one for emotional talks or even emotions in general really. Cain nodded once more before leaving the room, happy his nephew had found someone who could give him the love he deserved. Even if it was from whom he considered to be the most unlikely person.

Robert laughed lightly to himself and turned back to Aaron. He ran a hand through his sleeping fiancé’s gel-free hair with a soft fond smile he reserved for only Aaron gracing his lips.  
“I reckon we’ll be alright, A. More than alright.” He couldn’t see a future for himself without Aaron there with him. He’d known that for a while now. But a future with Aaron? He let his imagination run wild a moment, thinking of weddings and houses, happiness and family. Well, that was the best and brightest future he could ever have hoped for.


End file.
